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Thursday, October 30, 2003

Review - Mistletoe & Wine

Artist: Mediaeval Baebes

Posted
on Thu, Oct 30, 2003 at 4:00 AM

The holidays are nearly upon us and thus comes the yearly glut of holiday-themed releases. While many of these are instantly recyclable, The Mediæval Bæbes' choral arrangements and soft string and percussive accompaniment make them uniquely suited for such fare. The harmonies from this eight-member group are immaculate, especially on their interplay with strings as on "Quan Vey la Lauzeta." The percussion on "Salva Nos" provides a bit of a drive and is an anomaly as a result, but it isn't out of place and offers a nice change of pace. These ancient songs are sung in ancient languages and you can't understand most of the lyrics, but who cares? Holiday tunes are meant to make you feel good. The B¾bes achieve that by conjuring images of holiday cheer in snow-draped castles with their interpretation of these traditional numbers.